Eight Books Every Intelligent Person Should Read

[Lip Service]

According to Neil deGrasse Tyson “If you read all of the above works you will glean profound insight into most of what has driven the history of the western world.”

All available free and most available as audiobooks

http://www.openculture.com/2011/12/neil_degrasse_tyson_8_books_ever...

[rapa]

Lip Service, interesting thought but I'll be passing on Tyson's suggestions. At my age am past the age of wanting insight into history; more interested in surviving the craziness of today! Reading for relaxation, reflection and entertainment does it for me!

[Mandy Muffin]

I have read 6 out of 8 in my life.  I have completed a read through of the Bible about 5 times (not counting 8 years of parochial school education and college religion courses). I have a small collection of Bibles that I treasure, including about 5 on my E-Reader.  I read a novel (the title of which escapes me now) in which a man was looking for the meaning of life and some French philosopher told him that everything a person needs to know in life in contained in Marcel Proust's "In Search of Lost Time" (Remembrance of Things Past). http://www.britannica.com/topic/In-Search-of-Lost-Time  I read some of the novel which I downloaded for pennies at the time but the 2700 pages were a bit much.   

[Lip Service]

Mandy, the mention of Proust's "Remembrance of Things Past" made me chuckle. Parts of it were required reading for me in high school, at the time it felt nothing but drudgery. To be sure Proust is a great story teller but this work drags on interminably. The story starts when he dunks a madeleine in his morning coffee and the memories flood in. The sight of a madeleine (a soft cookie which can now be bought at Starbucks) only reminds me of the one that started it all.

This book is one of two French books that are quite famous in America, the other being Alexis de Tocqueville's "Democracy in America". It is curious that they share a similar aspect, they both have had multiple translations but none really conveys the spirit of the original work. "Democracy in America" is hailed as a work which praises democracy and glorifies the American experience. In fact de Tocqueville was a nobleman who didn't like democracy much and didn't think that self rule by commoners was a good idea. Somehow these essential views never come across in any translation

De Tocqueville was considered a liberal however he was a seriously committed colonist who thought that crop burning and jailing of natives by France in Algeria was perfectly justified in their effort to annex that country. To his credit he did advocate for slave emancipation when almost everyone else was against it.

[rapa]

Have TOCQUEVILLE IN AMERICA but not read it. Is catching dust on the shelf. Should have read it year's ago.

[Mandy Muffin]

I ended up reading summaries of the Proust book, as it is very tedious.  Tocqueville analysis of our form of democracy is often quoted as being "tyranny by the majority." We do see this at work as populist politicians have gained favor over the years. I have run across many lists of books I should read but didn't. Now I am more likely to look at the NYT best seller list for my selection or read a book from an author I know. My current philosophy is "so many books; so little time."